Improved brick-machine



IlNrrnn lSTATES ArnNr rrrca. 4

WILLIAM H. HOVEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IIVIPROVED BRICK-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,852, dated February27, 1866; antedated February 16, 1866. i

To aZZ whom fit may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAH H. HOVEY, 0f Springfield, Hampden county,Commonwealth ot' Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedBrick-Machine 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view;

. Fig. 2, a side view, and Fig. 3 a plan with part of the mechanismremoved.

The subject of brick-machines has been so long and thoroughly discussedas to render it unnecessary for me to enter into any explana tions orremarks in regard to the utility of such invention; and I will thereforewaive this and commence immediately to -show the construction andoperation of my invention, and also some of its advantages over othersofthe same sort.

It consists of a frame, A, supporting and holding in place themechanism, a hopper, B, in which the clay is cut and ground to theproper consistency by the knives b b on the shaft C, turned by thebevel-gear c on C and eZ on the main or driving shaft D, which isconnected at E to a suitable power, usually steam or horse.

Under the hopper B are two boxes or channels, Z Z, into which the clayfalls through the openings ej'in the bottom of the hopper B. In theseboxes or channels two plungers, F F, work backward and forward, moved bythe knee-joint levers G M andG H. These levers, connected by the piece3, are moved by the cam I on the shaft J, which receives its mot-ionfrom the driving-shaft D through the bevelgears K L. This cam acts onthe lever by the rollers 7c k on each side. These channels Z Zl areconnected in all directions after they pass the openings e j', and nearthe front they are each divided into two spaces by the partitions m m,and at the frontfrom four openin gs, au o o.

The cutters or knives O P now remain to be described. `These eachconsist of two knives7 p p', fastened on the piece Rin such a mannerthat the space between them shall be equal to the length of the bricksto be made. These are attached to connections s t, which extend -sidetwo bricks. ues down, the lower edge passes the bottom of action of theknives b b. It then runs into the boxes Z Z through the openings ef, andis forced by the plungers F F', operated by the levers G H, into thecontracted space in the front of the partitions m on', so as to make twobricks in front of each plunger. These are new cut off by the knives orcutters O I), and at the next push of theplunger are forced out throughthe openings a u o o onto the band or apron b and all carried off.

It will be seen that in the mechanical arrangement of the cam I andknee-joint levers G H and'G H', connected by S, I obtain a very powerfuland sure pressure on the plungers, and also that the strain andthemachine is received on the rods 2 2 at the sides, which bind togetherthe two ends of the machine,'

and thus make it very strong where strength is most needed.

As the clay is pressed before the plunger along the channel Z thesuperuous clay is pushed up into the hopper, so that only just the rightamount of clay can be got into the channels Z Z before the plunger. Asthis is pressed along,the channel, contracting,presses the claytogether, so that when it arrives near the front it is very muchhardened and conipressed, forming, if desired, pressed brick, thepressure varying with the amount of contraction. As the clay is pressedalong it comes under the cutters O l), and they coming down cut offsufficient of the mass to form on each Now, as this cutter contintheopening and the clay is completely inclosed on all sides, and as thecutters continue their motion downward the piece R strikes plate Y andgives a further pressure to the brick, which tlls out and smooths offthe whole surface and fills out the corners, and

^ *the clay to fall easily into the cha-nnels underv any length may beformed by this machine.

stantially as described.

also the cutters, in moving back, smooth off the sides. These knives ofthe cutters are beve-led on the lower inside edgeso as to cut the brickmore smoothly.

The plungers F F are faced with a piece of hard wood, 4, to give asmoothand moistened surface to this end of the plunger, so that the clay maynot stick to and be carried back with it, as would be the case withiron. The brick having been cut off, at the next push of the plunger itis forced out onto the band U, which is caused to move from the machineby the revolution of the roller U, operated, as before mentioned, by thecam T through the levers S S and rods V V, and paWls and ratchets X X WW.

The openings e fin the bottom of the hopper are beveled on their upperedges to allow neath.

It will be seen tha-t by removing the cutting arrangement and formingthe openings n fn o o differently tile-moldings, Src., of almost Now,having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is.-

1. The combination of the cam L, knee-joint levers GH and G' H',connection B, and plungers FF', when used in combination with a suitablefeeding apparatus and frame, sub- 2. The combination of the cam T, oneor l more levers, S S, suitably connected thereto, one or more cutters,O P, and a similar number of boxes or channels, l l, through which theclay1 is forced, substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination of the cam T, lever or levers S S, connecting rod orrods V, one or two pawls, W, and ratchet X, and the roller U,substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. Contracting the channels Z l at the front, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of the pieces Y Y, rods y y, and spring Z with thechannel or channels u u, substantially as described.

G. The combination of the hopper B, having the opening or openings @finits bottom, with thecchannel or channels l' l and a suitable arrangementfor forcing the clay along this channel or channels and for cuttin goft' and removing the same when formed into bricks, substantially asdescribed.

7. Forming the channeled chamber Z in such a manner that when theplunger reaches the front end of the opening ef there shall be sufcientclay in the space between the front end of and the point to which itinust travel to form the amount of bricks required, substantially asdescribed.

WM. H. HOVEY.

Witnesses J. B. GARDINER, MILTON BRADLEY.

